The Source of Everything

The moment Ludwig appeared on stage.

It wasn't just Rosalind.

Countless players were shouting.

Etc!

No! Wait a minute! This isn't right!

The main problem is that this promotional video completely surprised everyone—this oppressive, underworld-like style, these grotesque monsters that make you lose your sanity at first glance, what does it have to do with Berserker?!

Where's the promised grand and sweeping style?

Where's the promised massive free-for- Ten-Thousand-Player Arena?!

But the system clearly didn't care about the players' feelings and continued playing the promotional video on its own.

In the picture.

The deformed monster, resembling neither horse nor creature, finally stood upright in the pool of blood. The camera then slowly panned forward, focusing on its upper body.

The monster looked at the camera and slowly raised a giant sword that emitted a ghostly green light, a light as bright as moonlight, instantly...

In an instant, the dark and damp underground cave was illuminated.

As the light shone, the monster's contorted expression seemed to miraculously calm down.

At the same time, a hoarse human male voice rang out.

"Ha----"

"You and I are on the same side----"

Amidst the bewildered gazes of countless players, the deformed, fleshy monster, like a human knight, gripped the hilt of a sword with both hands and slowly raised the eerie green greatsword before it.

"My true mentor----"

"The moonlight that guides me----"

As the greatsword was raised vertically, its broad, radiant blade perfectly blocked half of the monster's distorted, even more beastly face.

Under the glowing green light, the madness that had belonged to a wild beast on the other side of the monster's face suddenly faded. Although it was still ferocious, a hint of human compassion could be seen.

Its gaze pierced through the eerie green light emanating from the greatsword, silently observing all the players outside the screen.

"The Church's the First Hunter, Ludwig, the Holy Blade."

Ugly and deformed form versus the sacred Moonlight Greatsword.

The twisted skin of a beast and the clear-headed soul of a human being.

The presence of these two diametrically opposed elements in BOSS creates a powerful visual impact at this moment.

This is combined with the announcement of the name.

Every player watching the trailer, whether a casual player or a seasoned veteran, felt a chill run down their spine and their scalp tingled.

The atmosphere they created was absolutely amazing!

However, they were not given any time to catch their breath or think.

The scene then abruptly changed again.

The sacred, pale green moonlight was instantly swallowed up by the endless flames.

That deep, magnetic female voice narrating once again rang in the player's ears.

"For example, the founder of the Healing Church— "

Deep within a church, atop the altar, lay a colossal monster, as if suffering or undergoing a mourning ceremony.

But the next moment...

Intense flames began to ignite inside the monster.

In the flickering firelight, the monster slowly awoke, gradually rising from the altar. At the same time, it raised its deformed right hand, painfully clutching its mutilated head, as if searching for its skull.

Then.

It seemed to sense something, slowly extending its burning giant hand towards the camera, as if demanding something, while opening its mouth and emitting a heart-wrenching shriek.

With a piercing shriek, a towering pillar of fire tore through the darkness, filling the screen with a shower of sparks, and the intense heat seemed to burn the players' faces through the windows.

The beast, engulfed in flames, slowly rose to its feet.

"His head was severed, and his body was burned to ashes in the flames."

"Though spared the curse, they died in the chaos of irrationality at the hands of the church they themselves founded, and were condemned to eternal burning—"

"But even if they turn to ashes in the flames, it will not wash away their sins."

In the deep, magnetic voice of the narrator.

The monster painfully raised its head, spewing out scorching sparks from its mouth, flames burning its body and spreading outwards.

"First Agent, Lawrence ----"

If Ludwig's performance just now showcased a strong contrast...

At this moment, the first bishop of the Healing Church was simply a figure whose sheer size and the intense flames created an oppressive aura.

"For example, the legendary Hunter who sought redemption for her past actions—"

The deep narration shifts again, accompanied by the crisp sound of clock gears turning. The raging sea of fire instantly recedes, Take Their Place by Astral Clocktower drifting with tiny dust particles.

The clock gears clicked as they turned.

The camera slowly zooms in.

The spiritual tower standing at the intersection of nightmare and truth, a magnificent cage that seals the original sin of the Healing Church and imprisons the soul of a redeemer, now contains only a lonely high-backed chair.

A figure was slumped quietly in that high-backed chair.

She wore a somewhat worn tricorn hat and Hunter's overcoat, slumped in her chair, her back to the sunlight streaming through the window, facing the entrance.

Even with its eyes closed, like a lifeless corpse forgotten by time, it still exudes a sense of elegance.

Sudden.

The distant clanging of the clock's gears abruptly ceased.

The corpse, slumped in the high-backed chair, slowly opened its eyes.

Knock knock.

With the sound of leather boots clattering on the wooden floor, a figure slowly rose from the solitary high-backed chair.

The camera focuses on his back, as his cloak flutters in the wind.

She slowly raised the double-edged weapon, gripped it with both hands, and swung it sharply to both sides!

Clang!

With a clang, the weapon split in two, becoming two straight swords, one long and one short.

"I understand—the mysterious call is so sweet."

"Now, only real death can free you."

"To free you from the urge to indulge in fervent curiosity."

The cold-blooded Hunter, whose back was the only part of her body visible, slowly raised her blade, her killing intent surging forth.

"The legendary Hunter, Maria ----"

It doesn't give players a chance to breathe at all.

The scene changed again.

The narration began again.

"This is the power of blood, this is the curse of blood."

"Besides Hunter and beasts, Yharnam also has beings known as the Superiors."

"As the nightmare's mad ritual came to an end, the Blood Moon was shrouded in gloom—"

Ding-dong.

A distant, ethereal bell sound suddenly echoed out.

Above the sky, a huge, blood-red full moon exuding an ominous aura appeared in the frame, only to be quickly swallowed up by the rolling black mist.

"Those fanatical believers who have gone mad have finally welcomed their the Deity and deformed offspring."

The black mist moon in mid-air began to pour down a dark yellow viscous liquid, while a twisted monster slowly fell from the moon, which was shrouded in black mist.

Boom!!!

A colossal object, obscuring the sky, descended from the heavens and crashed heavily onto the ruined square, causing the earth to tremble and sending thick blood and rubble flying into the air!

As the camera slowly zoomed in, countless players gasped as they finally saw the monster descending from the sky in its entirety.

It was a massive mountain of flesh forcibly stitched together from hundreds and thousands of twisted, mangled limbs, rotting flesh, and stark white bones.

Disgusting, distorted, incomprehensible.

Seeing this scene...

Players are utterly baffled! What is this all about?!

As the One Reborn slowly straightened his indescribable body.

The screen went dark again.

Then, a sudden and piercing cry of a newborn baby rang out.

The screen lit up again, accompanied by the sound of crying.

This time, the camera focused on a dilapidated high platform.

In the very center of the platform, a baby stroller sat all alone.

But in the footage, the stroller was empty, with only the sound of crying.

"The offspring of the Great Ones are formless and without substance."

"The Black Wet Nurse, silently waiting beside the cradle and watching over the Deity offspring, is also invisible."

Accompanied by a whispered narration, a figure descended from the sky, enveloping the stroller.

It was a being dressed in a black robe, with no head or face visible beneath the hood, only an Abyss of darkness. As the black robe billowed, countless withered, gray arms stretched out, each holding a gleaming, scimitar.

The faceless, invisible Grim Reaper slowly spread its wings-like arms.

"The invisible Grim Reaper will wield its blade to reap lives."

The next second.

The waves crashed against the beach.

The scene shifted again, revealing a cold and lifeless coastline.

"A venomous deformity from the deep sea, the lament of those in power—"

On the beach, a hunched, emaciated monster, its body pale like a skinned corpse, stands with its back to the camera, gazing at the setting sun in the distance.

Faintly, a low sobbing sound could be heard.

Combined with the visuals, it's truly unsettling.

Player: "----"

What?! What is all this?!

Behind the eerie scene of the monster gazing at the sun.

The screen went dark again.

This time, however, the scene seemed to fall into complete darkness, with only a deep, magnetic female voice narrating.

"That's right."

"This is Yharnam, the origin of all curses."

"A tragedy built layer upon layer of blood, lies, and dreams of Great Ones."

That's all.

After a brief pause, the narrator seemed to realize something, suddenly letting out a soft chuckle, and then continued, "And the source of all this—"

"It's that person."

Accompanied by the narrator's low laughter.

The darkness slowly dissipated, and the previously gloomy coastline, Gothic spires, nauseating mountains of flesh, and black mist all disappeared, Take Their Place by a vast, dreamlike sea of white flowers.

A fierce wind howled and swept through, sending countless pure white petals fluttering in the air.

At the end of the sea of flowers, a huge Blood Moon hangs high in the sky.

And ahead of the Blood Moon.

A figure slowly descended from the Blood Moon, against its backdrop.

Because of the backlighting, the person's face was not visible; only a tall silhouette could be seen, dressed in a classic Hunter's outfit, the hem of which fluttered wildly in the wind like a pair of outstretched wings.

As the figure descended, it slowly raised the blade in its right hand.

Zheng.

The crisp sound of a blade ringing out suddenly resounded in the ears of every player.

At the same time, energetic music suddenly rang out, like Choir chants, bringing a strong sense of religious sanctity.

But then...

Dark red blood energy spread from the long sword held by the figure, as if it were alive, swirling around her. Combined with the Blood Moon, it made her seem like Demon descending.

The sacred chants still echo.

Petals danced wildly in the wind and blood, pure white and scarlet intertwining in that moment.

It's incredibly oppressive!

The sense of oppression here does not come from the sheer size of the figures or their ferocious appearance; it is purely from the atmosphere created.

If Ludwig or Maria were powerful figures in the nightmare, then the figure slowly descending from the Blood Moon feels like the nightmare itself. She is the one who created this nightmare, and she is also the one guarding its end.

In mid-air.

The figure that was slowly descending in the blood-red moonlight slowly raised its head.

Beneath the dappled shadows of her triangular hat brim, half of her face was revealed, blurry yet strangely familiar.

At the same time, the music, like Choir chant, reached its climax.

As the background music grew louder, the figure in mid-air raised a long sword wreathed in blood and swung it out fiercely.

A cold glint flashed and instantly stretched from the edge of the screen to the other side.

The next moment.

That enormous Blood Moon, seemingly a symbol of the nightmare itself, was suddenly split in two.

A burst of white light erupted.

The petals curled up backwards.

The screen suddenly went dark.

Then the characters slowly emerged from the darkness.

[Class Contest Instance (Berserker)]

Bloodborne will be released in five days.

Stay tuned.

The trailer has now completely ended.

The pop-up window that the system forcibly created then disappeared.

But many people still slightly opened their mouths and remained motionless.

Whether on the bustling streets of Chen Capital, at the headquarters of various guilds, or in the hotel where the delegation was staying, countless people wore expressions of astonishment.

About a minute later, many people realized what was happening.

The forum, which had been quiet for a long time due to the release of the trailer, suddenly exploded after the trailer finished airing, with tens of thousands of new posts appearing every second.

Countless players had been holding back their feelings, and finally, they said it all.

[??????]

[Wait! What is this?! What is this?! This is the Berserker Class Contest Instance that Lu Xiu built???]

[And then a spectacular tail-kill at the end! Seriously?! Was it really that cool?]

[I'm still not quite sure what I just saw, can someone tell me?]

[Huh? What happened to the PVP?! What happened to the epic meat grinder?! You call this Berserker contention?!]

Ben?! This isn't right! This doesn't look like a Berserker at all!

[The final strike that cleaved the Blood Moon! Was that Berserker skill?! Is that what you call Berserker?! The oppressive aura was so strong?! And that last figure, that height and silhouette, it's definitely Lu Xiu! Did she go in herself to be the final boss?!]

What's the point of fighting then! Is the tragedy of the Wolf Played by the Constructor repeating itself?

Holy crap! That centaur monster! That fire-breathing behemoth! And that mountain of flesh made up of rotten meat at the end!

I don't know whether to call it disgusting or horrifying, but it really made me uncomfortable! I can only say Lu Xiu is truly amazing! She managed to create something so disgusting!

[As it turns out— Lu Xiu always manages to surprise everyone. Just when you think what she's done is bad enough, she always manages to do something even worse.]

[I don't believe it! I don't believe this is Berserker Class Contest Instance! It's completely unrelated! Even the most powerful monsters would be terrified of this, and Lu Xiu is the final boss?! Huh?!]

[So cool! This is the first time I've seen Lu Xiu wear this kind of outfit. Is she really that stylish?]

[I strongly request the system to take back the dungeon-building rights! Lu Xiu is just a class pioneer, what does she know about Berserker! Look at this promotional video! This is what she calls Berserker? She calls this Berserker???]

[Watching the promotional video made me sweat buckets—although it was quite different from what I imagined, I have to say, he's really cool! Awesome!]

[--]

at the same time.

The hotels where several missions are staying.

Gong Yu sat blankly on the sofa, still staring ahead with an incredulous expression.

Even though the pop-up window that had been forcibly created in front of him had now disappeared.

Much later.

He suddenly shivered, came to his senses, and murmured, "Is this... is this right?"

He recalled his confident promise to his father not long ago that as long as he recruited the Royal Guard, he would definitely be able to obtain the Profession Certificate, and he also recalled the trailer he had just seen.

A gloomy and oppressive city, indescribable deformed monsters, an extremely imposing boss, and finally, that familiar figure—

This has absolutely nothing to do with imagination—it's completely unrelated!

"Class-specific dungeons—is it even possible to do this?"

Gong Yu muttered to himself, trying to connect the promotional video he had just seen with the words "Berserker," but after trying for a long time, he still couldn't succeed.

Because these two things are completely unrelated!!!

At least for now, he doesn't think it matters!

All his previous preparations and simulations were based on the key word "battle," which simply means PvP.

But now, after watching the promotional video, he suddenly realized he'd become the clown.

Lu Xiu is so unpredictable!

The last Versus Instance was just like Dungeon Fighter Online —wait, how could things have changed so much?

And could any human possibly have come up with those ox-horse-snake-gods?

The Berserker has appeared in Dungeon Fighter Online dungeons.

There are already super awesome PVP dungeon templates available----

Why did they end up creating this kind of dungeon as Class Contest Instance?

ah?

What kind of genius is this! To be able to create an entirely new instance based on the same class in such a short time, with completely different styles!

----A monster?

I sat there blankly for almost five minutes.

Gong Yu suddenly snapped out of his daze, then opened the communication panel and began typing rapidly with his fingers flying across the keyboard.

Actually, it wasn't just Gong Yu.

On the other side, Ulysses also froze in place, overwhelmed by a sense of absurdity and bewilderment, sitting motionless.

At this time...

Beside him, a member of the delegation swallowed hard and said with difficulty, "Supreme Leader, what should we do? This doesn't seem like a PvP situation—"

this----"

Ulysses slowly came to his senses, turned to look at the delegation members, and then suddenly asked, "Is this really a copy that a human could make?"

The delegation members were completely bewildered. "Huh? Miss Lu Xiu is indeed amazing—but Supreme Leader, the problem now is that the dungeon looks difficult. The enemies inside seem even more terrifying than those in Monster Hunter, and the last figure was Miss Lu Xiu, wasn't it? This is troublesome—"

Ulysses shook his head, paused for a moment, and then said, "No, I mean, do you think Lu Xiu is mentally sound? Is this an enemy that humans could create?"

Mission members: "----"

At the same time.

Higher floors of the hotel.

Rosalind's once-proud Fox Ears drooped limply as she repeatedly watched the promotional video saved by the system, becoming increasingly confused with each viewing.

at last.

She froze the image on the moment Lu Xiu appeared, raised her hand to cover her face, and let out a mournful cry.

Class Contest Instance —are we going to fight Lu Xiu???

The system might as well just say it doesn't want to issue Profession Certificate to other people!

At the same time.

Coordination Bureau.

Yan Fushou sat behind his desk, rubbing his temples.

The pop-up window that had been forcibly created in front of him had also disappeared.

But he was still in a daze, still not understanding—why was the Berserker's dungeon raid being contested like this?

At this time...

Three communication windows popped up in front of him at the same time, from Gong Yu, Ulysses, Rosalind.

[Don't you officials plan to hire a psychologist for Lu Xiu?]

I just saw the first message.

Yan Fushou felt a headache coming on.

Then he glanced at the other two people's messages and sighed.

really.

They're all here to complain and ask about dungeons.

He could practically picture the expressions on those three people's faces right now.

After all, let's not even talk about them.

Yan Fushou himself was dumbfounded.

but----

"You're asking me? Who am I supposed to ask?!"

Yan Fushou sighed and shook his head, feeling both amused and exasperated.

And yet, someone actually wants to hire a psychologist for Lu Xiu —isn't that Lu Xiu's standard procedure? Why would she need a psychologist?

oh.

They're outsiders.

That's alright then.

Yan Fushou thought about it for a moment, and finally forwarded the message to Lu Xiu.

He was actually curious too—why was the Class Contest Instance like this?

At the same time.

Witch Forest.

With a soft flash of Bai Guang, Lu Xiu landed quietly.

She gently shook her long hair, casually brushing aside a few stray strands of hair near her ear, her face showing no sign of fatigue.

After all, it's just a promotional video.

And just as he regained his footing.

A communication window popped up in front of her.

It was the message forwarded by Yan Fushou.

Lu Xiu glanced at it, then summoned the virtual keyboard and replied, "It's all slander. Besides, I've blocked everyone who said I have mental problems. Don't you understand imagination? And who told them this dungeon has nothing to do with the Berserker? They'll find out when they get in. I guarantee this dungeon is definitely related to the Berserker; the core mechanics fit perfectly!"

"Really? I can't believe it—"

Yan Fushou's reply came quickly.

The promotional video seems to be quite effective.

Lu Xiu smiled when she saw Yan Fushou's message and was about to reply.

But at that moment...

Roar!!!

A deep, violent roar, as if it would tear the heavens apart, rolled in from the horizon.

Lu Xiu's fingertips hovered over the virtual keyboard, and her typing motion suddenly stopped.

She suppressed her smile, slowly raised her head, and looked in the direction from which the roar came.

The sound was extremely far away from her.

As for why she was so certain that the sound was extremely far away from her, it was because she was currently in the Witch Forest.

As the ruler of this place, if she so desires, she can control every blade of grass and every gust of wind in the entire Witch Forest.

She was quite certain that absolutely nothing in this vast forest had just made such a loud roar.

Yet, this roar was incredibly clear.

And the direction from which the roar came----

Lu Xiu slowly turned her head, her gaze piercing through the dense vegetation of the Witch Forest, looking into the distance.

That's—the direction of the Northern Seventh Defense Line? That port city?

Let's calculate the time----

The countdown to the frontline monsters being strengthened in 30 days, mentioned in the new expansion, seems to have reached day 28.

Is that why?